1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to display boards of a type which are used to display information to a viewer and particularly to such displays as scoreboards having opposing display surfaces and which may be selectively mounted so that either display surface may be selectively oriented outwardly with respect to a front of a frame to which such display boards are mounted.
2. History of the Related Art
Display boards are utilized in many different environments including educational, business, recreational, transportation, commercial, retail, and home or living environments. Many displays are designed to be permanently mounted to a wall and include a single display surface upon which information may be placed or recorded. The problem with fixed display boards is that only a single display surface is utilized and therefore the amount of information which can be conveyed from a single display is limited. Further, fixed displays are not always placed in the most appropriate area to convey the information displayed thereon.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,570 to the same inventor as the present invention, a display in the form of a scoreboard system is disclosed which allows scoreboards to be either mounted on a fixed surface such as a wall or frame, or on a mobile carrier. Also, the boards associated with the system are easily removable and reversible. By providing scoreboards having a plurality of varying displays, each of which is reversible, a single system may be utilized to convey a greater amount of information and may also be utilized for a plurality of purposes which would not otherwise by possible with a system having a single display surface. In the aforementioned patent, scoreboards are reversibly mounted to a support frame such that they can carry various indicia thereon and also having various indicia or information recorded thereon. Utilizing the system, it is possible to provide boards having predetermined charts thereon of a type, for example, frequently used in the game of golf. By reversing and reorienting the various combinations of display boards, it is possible to form different charts for different types of tournament play. Such a scoreboard system therefore offers not only increased utility over prior art fixed scoreboard systems but also reduces the cost of the system as display elements provide an additional use and function.
In the scoreboard system discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,570 each of the scoreboard panels associated therewith is suspended from a support frame. Therefore, whenever it is desired to change the display, move a particular display panel or reverse a panel, it is necessary to manipulate the panels and remove them from the support frame. Thus, each panel must be physically lifted and then physically moved or changed to a different position, afterwhich the panel is again suspended from a support frame.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,881 also to the same inventor as the present invention, a further improvement over prior art scoreboard and other display systems is disclosed. In this patent, the scoreboard or panels are mounted in frames which are designed to be portable. The frames include wheel assemblies which allow the scoreboards to be easily maneuvered and thus positioned in any convenient space to facilitate the display of information recorded or mounted thereon. This is particularly important when utilizing the scoreboards for sporting events, such as in golf, wherein it is necessary to position the scoreboards at different locations during a tournament.
The panels utilized in the scoreboard systems disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,881 are similar to those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,570 and the panels are designed to be suspended from a support frame. Thus, when it is desired to reorient the panels, the panels must be physically lifted from the frame and thereafter reversed or moved and subsequently secured to the supporting frame.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide for a display or scoreboard system which allows double sided displays to be easily maneuvered and changed so that a selected display surface may be orientated toward a viewing area but wherein the scoreboards or panels are not mounted in such a manner which require that they be physically removed from a support frame in order to reorient a display surface, thereby reducing the amount of physical effort necessary to change or reorient a panel of a given display or scoreboard.
The present invention is directed to display or scoreboards of the type having oppositely oriented display surfaces associated therewith and which may include one or a plurality of separate display panels which are supported by a frame in such a manner that the panels may be rotated about a vertical or horizontal axis with respect to the frame in order to selectively orient the display surfaces. In a preferred embodiment, the frames in which the display panels are mounted are themselves mounted on wheel assemblies such that the entire display or scoreboard system may be conveniently moved.
The invention includes first and second rotary clamps which are designed having opposing jaws which define a channel there-between of a size to frictionally engage either an edge of a display panel or a component of a frame in which the display panels are mounted. Each rotary clamp also includes a generally central pivot post which extends in a direction opposite that of the clamp elements and which is designed to be mounted within an opening formed in either an edge of the display panel or in one of the components of the surrounding support frame.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one of the rotary clamps engages an upper edge of a display panel with the edge being defined by a frame which surrounds and is permanently connected to the display panel and with the pivot post extending upwardly through an opening in the upper component of the frame of the system. In this embodiment, the second rotary clamp frictionally engages a lower edge of the display panel with the post thereof being receivable within an opening formed in a portion of the surrounding support frame.
In the preferred embodiment, the outer support frame is slightly larger than the frame defining the edge of the display panel such that the pivot post of the upper clamp may be inserted within the opening in the upper frame component, afterwhich, the pivot post of the lower clamp is aligned with the opening in the lower frame component. Thereafter, the display panel is lowered so that the panel rests on a bearing surface associated with the lower rotary clamp. Utilizing the invention, either one or both of the rotary clamps may include bearing surfaces between the jaw elments and the pivot post associated therewith for facilitating rotation of the panel to which the pivot clamps are secured.
To prevent rotation of the panels within the support frame, the present invention also includes one or more latches which are pivotally mounted to one of the support frame components. Each latch includes an outer portion which is designed to engage an edge portion of the panel to thereby prevent rotation of the panel. In a preferred embodiment, the latches are provided on opposite components of the supporting frame to thereby positively prevent any rotation of the frame until the latches are pivoted to an unlocked position.
In a preferred embodiment, the outer support frame is mounted to standards which are supported on wheel assemblies such that the entire display or scoreboard system may be easily maneuvered.
It is primarily object to the present invention to provide a display or scoreboard system which includes one or more display panels which are pivotally mounted to a support frame by way of clamps which are selectively engageable with opposing edge portions of the supporting frame or the pivotable panels so that either side of the display panels may be selectively displayed by a simple rotation of the panels relative to the support frame and without having to remove the panels from the support frame.
It is another object to the present invention to provide a display or scoreboard system wherein the display may include one or plurality of panels which are rotatable with respect to a support frame and wherein the panels may be locked in a predetermined position by the use of latches mounted to the support frame.